Climb Base5 – The largest climbing gym in Metro Vancouverhttps://www.climbbase5.com
Seriously Fun!Thu, 17 Aug 2017 23:25:49 +0000en-UShourly1https://wordpress.org/?v=4.5.3For Global Climbing Day, chalk up. It’s on us.https://www.climbbase5.com/blog/global-climbing-day-2017/
Mon, 14 Aug 2017 17:37:45 +0000https://www.climbbase5.com/?p=9296We love climbing, and just as we were once welcomed into this community, we want to invite you to a global climbing day to experience it for yourself. On August 19th, The North Face has teamed up with over 40 climbing gyms around the world (including only three from Canada, which includes Climb Base5) to […]

]]>We love climbing, and just as we were once welcomed into this community, we want to invite you to a global climbing day to experience it for yourself. On August 19th, The North Face has teamed up with over 40 climbing gyms around the world (including only three from Canada, which includes Climb Base5) to offer free climbing opportunities. Bring a friend, no experience necessary.

As part of this initiative by The North Face, we’re giving anyone who comes into the gym a free pass to climb this coming Saturday (August 19th). Whether you’re into top-roping, bouldering, or totally new to the sport, come by the gym from 11am to 9pm and climb for free… it’s all for a good cause!

For every person who walks through our doors, The North Face will make a $5 donation to Paradox Sports, an organization committed to making climbing accessible to people with physical disabilities. #ClimbWalls

The Details

Climb for free on Saturday, August 19th, 2017

98 Brigantine Dr., Coquitlam, BC

11am to 9pm

Our staff and belayers will be on hand to help if you want to give climbing a try

]]>Thanks for defying gravity with us!https://www.climbbase5.com/blog/thanks-for-defying-gravity-with-us/
Thu, 06 Jul 2017 05:59:38 +0000https://www.climbbase5.com/?p=9117Thanks to everyone who came out to participate in, volunteer for, and make Defying Gravity one of the most unique and fun events that Climb Base5 has hosted. A really big shout out to the 30 teams of 3 (and the T-Rex) who came inside to climb despite the glowing sunshine outside. The vibe and […]

]]>Thanks to everyone who came out to participate in, volunteer for, and make Defying Gravity one of the most unique and fun events that Climb Base5 has hosted. A really big shout out to the 30 teams of 3 (and the T-Rex) who came inside to climb despite the glowing sunshine outside. The vibe and energy was just as intense as the sun this past weekend!

We had 15 teams make the finals, with five from each category; they were treated to an incredibly fun, creative and challenging finale! To top it of almost everyone went home with a prize or gift because our supporters were… what’s the word?… Awesome.

It was the first time CB5 put together this unique event with the goal of making it “not-your-average climbing-comp”. Our competitors, staff and volunteers made it a huge success, and we’re already brainstorming for the next one! In the meantime, enjoy the photos below… and a great big thank-you to the participants, volunteers, spectators and everyone who made Defying Gravity amazing!

]]>Canadian Climbing Triple Crown Champions come from Climb Base5https://www.climbbase5.com/blog/canadian-climbing-triple-crown-champions-come-from-climb-base5/
Tue, 23 May 2017 23:16:16 +0000https://www.climbbase5.com/?p=9036Climb Base5 athletes Alannah Yip and Emi Takashiba took top spot in the Open and Youth C categories following this weekend’s Speed and Lead Nationals at Canyon Escalade in Quebec. With their first place finishes in lead and speed added to their national bouldering champion titles earlier this year, both Alannah and Emi are 2017 […]

]]>Climb Base5 athletes Alannah Yip and Emi Takashiba took top spot in the Open and Youth C categories following this weekend’s Speed and Lead Nationals at Canyon Escalade in Quebec. With their first place finishes in lead and speed added to their national bouldering champion titles earlier this year, both Alannah and Emi are 2017 Canadian triple crown champs!

A post shared by Alannah Yip (@alannah_yip) on May 22, 2017 at 9:16am PDT

Head coach and youth development program director Andrew Wilson attributed the success to the athletes’ dedication and determination.

“I’m pretty excited for Emi and Alannah. They’re the first-ever Canadian triple crown winners – and the only two in the country to accomplish it. I think that the fact both are part of the Climb Base5 team speaks to how our program supports athletes through all stages of development.”

Alannah, who comes from the Open Performance Team, and Emi, who’s part of the comp 1 team, weren’t the only Climb Base 5 athletes who did well at this weekend’s nationals.

The top 5 climbers for almost every category in the competition included at least one Climb Base5 athlete. This included first place finishes for lead in Junior Men’s (Tosh Sherkat), Youth A Girls (Chloe Earle), and for speed in the Youth C category (Connor Jones).

]]>“When I’m feeling stressed, it’s usually because I haven’t been climbing enough.”https://www.climbbase5.com/blog/katie-mah/
Fri, 12 May 2017 21:04:23 +0000https://www.climbbase5.com/?p=8851Katie Mah was eight when she took a climbing course with her family at the Edge Climbing Centre. That year she and her brother JJ joined the Edge Youth Climbing Team. Fast forward 16 years, countless hours in dusty gyms with talented coaches and friends (like Andrew Wilson and Mike Doyle), and probably a hundred […]

]]>Katie Mah was eight when she took a climbing course with her family at the Edge Climbing Centre. That year she and her brother JJ joined the Edge Youth Climbing Team. Fast forward 16 years, countless hours in dusty gyms with talented coaches and friends (like Andrew Wilson and Mike Doyle), and probably a hundred or so comps including a handful of worlds events, Katie is back to climbing after a 7-year break, this time with her eyes on the World Cup circuit!

Here are the top 10 things Katie likes about climbing:

The people. Climbers are a dedicated bunch who look out for each other.

Being on the Base5 team means I get to hang out with Andrew Wilson! It means the world to me to be on the Open Performance Team and I’m so happy to be training with new and old friends under the tutelage of a great coach.

Climbing helps me focus and brings mental clarity. When I’m feeling stressed, it’s usually because I haven’t been climbing enough.

The mental and physical challenge of the sport

Trips, trips, trips! Climbing allows me to explore wild and remote places and connects me to all kinds of people I wouldn’t meet otherwise.

It’s a democratic sport. Age, height, and other things like that don’t often matter. When I was a kid, my climbing coaches were instrumental in helping me remove the word ‘can’t’ from my vocabulary.

It’s always humbling

That I can link my love for the sport and the outdoors with work. I’m an equipment designer for Arc’teryx, which means I spend probably 75% of my time making outdoor gear or thinking about how to make outdoor gear better. And the other 25% “testing”. I was fortunate to be an Arc’teryx athlete before joining the company as a designer.

Being in nature

There is no end to improvement. I’m working on improving my lock off strength and dynamic coordination.

]]>Defy the doubters. Defy the haters. Defy gravity!https://www.climbbase5.com/blog/defying-gravity-comp/
Thu, 27 Apr 2017 01:04:58 +0000https://www.climbbase5.com/?p=8887Climb Base5 is organizing the first of its kind team-based bouldering event on June 24th. Defying Gravity won’t be your average climbing comp. It’s going to be social. It’s going to be about teamwork. It’s going to be a wicked time! Register as a team or sign up on your own (we’ll put you on […]

]]>Climb Base5 is organizing the first of its kind team-based bouldering event on June 24th. Defying Gravity won’t be your average climbing comp. It’s going to be social. It’s going to be about teamwork. It’s going to be a wicked time!

Register as a team or sign up on your own (we’ll put you on a team) and face off against other teams with over 35 new boulder problems to try and our spicy-constructed team challenges…

This event is for everyone in a fun, relaxed, and supportive environment! If you’ve never climbed in a comp situation and want to give it a try, this is for you. If you’ve had some comp experience, this will be something that you’ve never seen before where you’ll have to trust your instincts, close your eyes, leap and hope you picked the right teammates

]]>Climb Base5 owner Daniel Poggi on what it takes to run a climbing gym and why sport climbing is gaining in popularityhttps://www.climbbase5.com/blog/daniel-poggi-on-owning-operating-climbing-gym/
Sat, 22 Apr 2017 00:22:22 +0000https://www.climbbase5.com/?p=8837As a longstanding member of the Vancouver climbing community, Dan has and still continues to give back to the community. With Climb Base5, the largest rock climbing gym in Metro Vancouver, he’s not only created an athletic facility that provides exceptional customer service, but a place that is about fitness and fun as it is […]

]]>As a longstanding member of the Vancouver climbing community, Dan has and still continues to give back to the community. With Climb Base5, the largest rock climbing gym in Metro Vancouver, he’s not only created an athletic facility that provides exceptional customer service, but a place that is about fitness and fun as it is about community and culture. Here’s how he got into the business and why he thinks sport climbing is gaining in popularity.

On owning and operating an indoor climbing gym…

I was introduced to climbing through a high school friend. Climbing became an instant obsession. All of my time was devoted to developing myself both mentally and physically. When I opened my first gym in 2002, I was able to attribute climbing to pretty much everything I had. It consisted of my livelihood, my wife and first child, and my association with an awesome community whom I regarded as my group of close friends. It was the start of my vision of giving back to the community that had provided so much for me.

Operating a climbing gym is surprisingly labor intensive. There are many moving parts, and the organization required to make it work seamlessly requires great staff and leadership. Our focus is to develop and support our community, and our operations reflect that – a mix of trained belayers, dedicated and friendly desk staff, coaches, route-setters, safety and operations technicians, and administrative and business-oriented managers. We have a strong focus on integrating new climbers and helping them to become self-sufficient and develop their own experiences, and our programming reflects that goal. We continuously tweak our operations and programming to meet the needs of our always-evolving community, which consists of beginners and elite athletes in all age ranges. It’s a complex balance to meet the needs of all our community.

My advice if anyone wants to add a climbing wall to their business? Start by assessing why you want to provide climbing for your members and ask yourself whether your target market connects with climbing and its core values.

On why sport climbing has become so popular recently…

Indoor climbing was traditionally created for training in the off-season. Climbers could maintain a sport-specific fitness program when the rock was wet or frozen without having to travel to warmer destinations for extended periods of time. While climbing still has an element of danger associated with it, climbing gyms provide the experience in a controlled environment for the mainstream to enjoy. With increasingly interest in the sport, the current community is also very diverse and has varying objectives and goals. There is a growing group of climbers that do not have aspirations to climb or boulder outdoors. This group has limited time due to family/work obligations that don’t facilitate climbing outdoors. With this, the gym also provides a great social and athletic experience and can be a full-service facility to meet their specific needs which the outdoors cannot provide.

On the benefits of having a community…

With climbing being introduced in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, the level of competition will continue to improve. As a result, there are and will be many strong competitors, and often the difference between winning and losing is having the support of your team. Teamwork has been the difference for both our adult performance team and junior level competitors, who have taken podiums in every category at nationals this year. Our head coach Andrew Wilson and assistant coach and physiotherapist Len Chong have also developed a cohesive and supportive environment for our athletes, particularly the Open Performance Team, to develop themselves physically and mentally.

]]>Our popular summer camps are back! These combo climbing camps have become a staple and the standard response to “what should I do with my kids?” that parents often ask themselves as summer approaches.

Pick a camp (or two)… just remember to sign up fast as spaces are limited!

Half-day Climbing Fundamentals

Increase the fun this summer and find excitement and adventure with our awesome Summer Break Camps. Our program covers the basics of setting up and managing climbing safety systems, and provides instruction and coaching on the basics of climbing movement. Each day’s lesson features fun games and activities that help anchor new skills. Our coaches will inspire and challenge campers to reach their full potential and climb with confidence!

Climbing + Cycling Camp

Our week-long full day summer camp from July 31st to August 4th, 2017 offers a great introduction to climbing and multi-discipline biking. This camp combines both indoor and outdoor activities and partners with Cycling BC’s iRide program.

Each day participants will start with a iRide cycling session and learn how to ride a velodrome bicycle, learn BMX jumps and perfect their mountain bike skills. In the afternoon, participants will be learning how to belay, top-rope and climb faster than ever before at Climb Base5. Each day includes 3hrs of cycling and 3hrs of rock climbing.

Climbing + Gymnastics Camp

Open to children ages 7 – 14, this weekly 9:00am-3:30pm combo camp will have participants climbing and bouncing all over. Participants will spend half the day (3 hours) with Club Aviva playing games, doing crafts, and learning gymnastics skills and the other half the day (3 hours) with Climb Base5 learning rock climbing techniques, belaying and playing games.

Please bring a lunch and two snacks. Lunch will be from 12:00 – 12:30 and there will be two snack breaks.

Both Club Aviva and Climb Base5 have friendly and experienced certified instructors that are eager and excited to teach your children in a fun, safe, unique environment!

]]>When life gives you bad holds… you just have to use them.https://www.climbbase5.com/blog/tosh-sherkat/
Fri, 31 Mar 2017 18:05:14 +0000https://www.climbbase5.com/?p=8853Natural-born climber… that’s one way to describe Tosh Sherkat. Born and raised by climber parents in Nelson, BC, Tosh has been part of the BC climbing community ever since he was a toddler. The 18-year old has come a long way from his BC roots and is now a seasoned traveler, competitor and Climb Base5 […]

]]>Natural-born climber… that’s one way to describe Tosh Sherkat. Born and raised by climber parents in Nelson, BC, Tosh has been part of the BC climbing community ever since he was a toddler. The 18-year old has come a long way from his BC roots and is now a seasoned traveler, competitor and Climb Base5 Open Performance team member. We caught up with Tosh in between his travels and competitive season to learn about what gets him fired up.

How did you get into climbing?
I’ve been climbing for over 14 years, probably since I could start walking. It’s something that has been a part of me because my parents were climbers and so I was always surrounded by the climbing culture and community. As I got older, it felt like an obvious progression to join the youth climbing team in Nelson. Since then, there hasn’t been really much doubt that climbing is what I love, a part of me, and something that I want to grow with, develop and excel at.

As a climber and competitor, how do you stay focus?
One of the benefits of being on a team has been to work closely and have access to coaches like Andrew Wilson and Matt Johnson. They’ve helped me to develop strategies to focus and calm myself before getting on big climbs or going out to compete. I don’t want to share all my secrets, but deep breathing and visualization has been part of my training routine! With regular training and coaching, I find it easier to focus and I don’t think so much about it. It also helps a lot to be around other athletes where we push each other to get better – it gives me more drive to focus and train as hard as I can!

With your drive to be a better climber, how will you take your climbing to the next level?
While physical training will always make you a stronger climber, I need to adapt and be mentally stronger so that I take the energy and focus I put into training and use it when competing. Personally, I believe that being a better climber comes from being more confident as a person.

How do you approach challenges in life? Does climbing help?
There are so many metaphors between climbing technique and life. I have to say that my favorite is the “when life gives you lemons” parallel. For me it basically means that no matter how bad the hold is, you just have to use it. In life and in climbing, I try to take as many perspectives as I can when facing challenges. Hearing from others or seeing a problem from a different angle really helps me find a way to solve it. I really enjoy dedicating myself to a challenge until it’s finished… Maybe sometimes the beta is just trying really, really hard!

Climbing is such a huge part of me and my everyday life so being able to know how to focus and commit myself entirely to something is one of the biggest lessons and skills that climbing has taught me.

So it must mean a lot to you to be on the Climb Base5 Open Performance Team?
I was so excited when I made it onto the team this season… it’s been a journey. Last year I applied to be on the team, but when it came to the selection camp I realized that I wasn’t ready and so did the coaches. But with some guidance and additional training, I’ve made huge improvements to my physical and mental abilities. It’s probably why this year was my time and I’m really enjoying the coaching and teamwork where all the team members can improve as a climber and as a person.

With such a long history of climbing, what are the highlights for you?
There are so many that it’s hard to pick! One of the fondest memories was when I came fifth at Nationals in Youth B and made the national team as an alternate. This was the first year I competed so to make the national team was such an amazing experience. Ground Up also has a special place in my highlight reel because it’s where I won my first local competition (Route Comp 2016) and where I reached my first open bouldering final (6th place at the 2016 bouldering competition). This season I was able to stand on the Youth National podium (in bouldering), which has been a huge goal of mine for as long as I’ve been competing. As for the outdoors, ‘Churning in the Wake’, my first 5.13 in Smith Rock.

What don’t we know about you?
For one, I don’t live in the Lower Mainland but I’m based out in Squamish. And when I say that climbing is part of life, it’s true because I moved five times when I was in high school just to be able to climb! Last but not least, most people are surprised when I tell them I’m a musician. I play guitar, sing, and write music. Last but not least, my sister, Tula is also a competitive climber, competing it the Youth C category!

]]>Youth program registration opens March 15thhttps://www.climbbase5.com/blog/youth-courses-spring-2017/
Mon, 13 Mar 2017 01:17:40 +0000https://www.climbbase5.com/?p=8793Registration for the courses that make up our youth development program opens to the public on Tuesday, March 15th. The courses for the Spring session will run for 12 weeks from April to June 2017. Make sure to visit our Booking page from March 15th to reserve your spot! Space for our youth development courses […]

The courses include the introductory courses, Climbing FUNdamentals, and the more advanced courses, Development Team and Performance 4 Life. See below for details of each course.

Climbing FUNdamentals 1

This course is for anyone who has never learned to belay before or participated in previous Climbing FUNdamentals courses.

Climbing FUNdamentals 1 is the starting point to your climbing development and journey! Participants will be introduced to basics of the sport climbing including operating the ropes and safety systems (belaying), safe climbing and falling skills, and climbing movement skills. Concepts are presented through games, drills and group activities.

This course is where your climbing development and journey continues! Participants will be build on skills and knowledge from the previous level 1 class. Participants will be introduced to new skills such as intermediate movement skills and basic training organization (warm-up, postural conditioning and climbing specific drills).

The development team is geared toward athletes looking to learn about and prepare for climbing competitions and performance climbing. In this program, coaches will introduce sport specific training and skill development activities. Skill mastery and enjoyment remain the primary objectives. Development Team athletes are encouraged to compete 2-4 times per season. Additional coaching fees for competitions may apply.

Ages: 11-15

Course Length: 12 weeks, 2 sessions per week*, 2.5 hours/session

Course Days: Monday, Thursday, Sunday

Time: Monday and Thursday: 4:00-6:30pm, Sunday: 9:00-11:30am

Dates: April 1 – June 30, 2017

Cost: $450

Prerequisites: Climbing FUNdamentals or Coaches approval

Performance4Life Team

As the name suggests, this team is focused on climbing performance. It is intended for athletes who would like to continue pursuing personal performance, but who do not wish to compete on a regular basis. Performance4Life team athletes are encouraged to compete. Additional coaching fees for competitions may apply.

Ages: 13-19

Course Length: 12 weeks, 2 sessions per week*, 2.5 hours/session.

Course Days: Wednesday, Friday, Sunday

Time: Wednesday and Friday: 4:00 – 6:30pm, Sunday: 9:00-11:30am

Dates: April 1 – June 30, 2017

Cost: $450

Prerequisites: Climbing FUNdamentals or Development Team, and coaches recommendation.

Visit our booking page to register for one of our youth development courses!

]]>Alannah and JJ’s podium finish was a team efforthttps://www.climbbase5.com/blog/2017-open-boulder-nationals/
Thu, 09 Mar 2017 18:01:14 +0000https://www.climbbase5.com/?p=8770Canada’s top climbers came together last weekend to compete in the 2017 Open Boulder Nationals in Edmonton. This included some of our team athletes who crushed it individually and as a team! Not only did JJ Mah come back from a climbing hiatus to claim 2nd spot on the podium, five of our athletes made […]

]]>Canada’s top climbers came together last weekend to compete in the 2017 Open Boulder Nationals in Edmonton. This included some of our team athletes who crushed it individually and as a team!

Not only did JJ Mah come back from a climbing hiatus to claim 2nd spot on the podium, five of our athletes made the top 20 in the women’s category, including Alannah Yip taking her second consecutive Canadian national title!

Climb Base5’s team head head coach Andrew Wilson, who is still beaming from the results of the Youth Boulder Nationals in February, contributes the success of the individual athletes to the time, effort and support in coming together as a team.

I’m proud of Alannah and JJ. They came this far and got to the podium with the support from all the team members. What am I most proud of? The whole team.